Teko Modise netted twice to give Bafana Bafana a 2-0 win in an international friendly against Canada at the Absa Stadium in Durban on Tuesday.
The Orlando Pirates playmaker netted a splendid goal from 20m in the 39th minute and got his second on the stroke of halftime with a well-taken penalty.
Canada’s captain Paul Stalteri was sent off with 11 minutes to go after receiving a second yellow card. Nevertheless, the hosts were deserved winners against a side which lacked imagination.
In the sixth minute Thembinkosi Fanteni shot straight at Lars Hirschfeld when he could have picked a spot on either side of the keeper. Moments later the Ajax Cape Town striker found space at the near-post when he shaved the outside of the goal after a precise cross from right-back Bryce Moon.
The Canadians were cautious in defence and attack and although they went forward purposefully, their attacking moves were predictable and Benson Mhlongo marshalled his backline well against veteran Canada playmaker Tomasz Radzinski.
Mhlongo was useful in attack as well as he set-up the first goal for the Pirates player, but with a wall of players in his way Modise first faked a shot before putting the ball out of Hirschfeld’s reach and in to the back of the net.
Stalteri got his first yellow when he brought Fanteni down in the box and Modise stepped up, sent the keeper the wrong way and with a minute to go in the first half, victory already belonged to South Africa.
The lacklustre visitors were overwhelmed by the constant running and clever passes, which Modise, Lance Davids and Fanteni put together. Mamelodi Sundowns’ striker Lerato Chabangu also got in on the action but his shots never bothered the Canadian keeper.
On the other side Rowen Fernandez had a very quiet game and hardly touched the ball in a one-sided half.
After the Canadian skipper received his marching orders for an off-the-ball incident, the hosts resorted to tricks and delightful one-touch passes which drew loud applause from the appreciative Durban crowd. – Sapa